JACKSONVILLE—Landon Donovan’s commitment, motivation and energy level have been the subject of considerable scrutiny the past few days, ever since he revealed that he has become somewhat weary of celebrity and that he’s struggled, at times, to find the hunger required to succeed at the highest level.

On the eve of the U.S.-Scotland match, the U.S. national team’s all-time leading scorer wanted to make it clear he still enjoys the game, even if there are occasions when he can imagine his life without it.

“I’m trying to be present; I want to be in the moment,” he said. "I’ve been very candid and let people know how I feel, but the reality is that I still enjoy it.

“I still want to contribute to this team. I still care. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea. I still enjoy being part of this, and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be here. I want to contribute in the right way."

Donovan, who turned 30 in March, stressed this week that he is eager to play in his fourth World Cup in two years’ time and that it’s going to be up to him to find ways to make an impact, especially as new players challenge for minutes under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Donovan had missed the past eight national team games because of illness, injury or club commitments and hadn’t suited up for the U.S. in nearly nine months.

“All players reach a point in their career where it’s natural to lose some of that hunger, that desire, to sort of break out — to be a star,” he said Wednesday in Orlando, where the U.S. was training ahead of the upcoming exhibitions and World Cup qualfiers.

“I realize now that I’m getting older, I’m not going to be the guy who’s scoring goals every game or making a great impact all the time. I’m going to do it as much as I can in that way, but if I can be a part of the team and help lead it to successful times, then that’s what I want to be a part of. ... At some point, the time will come where I’m not a first-choice player and the challenge then will be, how will I still make a positive impact? I want to be a positive influence.”

On Friday, Donovan hinted that his influence might be just as important off the field as on it.

“We have to make sure our focus is right because we can’t give away any games in qualifying,” he said. “The goal is to use the younger, inexperienced guys in the right way and use their energy to lift the team, and have the older, experienced guys kind of lead the way and know what to expect so you can get through the hard times.”

World Cup qualifying is a gauntlet.

The June 8 game vs. Antigua and Barbuda in Tampa will be the first of at least 16 over the next year-and-a-half throughout the North and Central America and the Caribbean. There are always hard times.

“We’ve got a lot of experience on this team now, and we know how to handle it,” Donovan said.

Klinsmann says Donovan’s feelings are natural for a player of his age and pedigree.

“Landon is a very intelligent player and very experienced by now," the coach said Friday. "I think it’s also normal that your thoughts go all over the place when you think, ‘OK, what’s next? Where are my next challenges? How long will I play this game?’ At this moment right now, where he has already played in three World Cups and has had many different experiences, I think it’s just normal.

“He’s been tremendous in every training session. I didn’t see there any lack of being hungry or not giving everything he had. He did that. He’s very, very professional. When he has these open discussions with you as journalists, I think that’s good to see. He’s a thoughtful guy. ... There’s nothing to complain about with Landon. He’s a highly professional guy, and time will tell how much he wants to continue on the highest level.”

Interestingly, Klinsmann then revealed that as a player, he too went through lapses in hunger or focus.

One key difference between the two, however, is Klinsmann felt a compulsion to explore and force himself out of a comfort zone, whereas Donovan typically has played and felt better in familiar surroundings.

“Every player goes through those moments—some a bit earlier, some a bit later, or maybe sometimes a couple times during your career,” Klinsmann said. “I had those moments, too. They came usually when you were ready for a next step or a change. It helped me a lot to change my environment. It kept me on my toes, and I kept learning off the field a lot of things as well. So I had those thoughts definitely during my career.”

Klinsmann played for seven clubs in four countries during his 17-year career and never stayed anywhere for more than five seasons. During his final decade as a player, he turned out for six different teams.

Donovan, meanwhile, has been with the L.A. Galaxy since '05. Last year, he captained a dominant side to a Supporters Shield and MLS Cup double and scored the only goal in the title game. But this year has been a disaster, starting with a quarterfinal elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League and continuing through a brutal 3-7-2 start to the MLS season.

Malaise can impact teams as well as individual athletes.

“It’s just a difficult thing to go through,” Donovan said earlier in the week in Orlando. “Especially when you’re the captain of a team. It’s difficult, and it weighs on you. Some good results would help. It’s a good welcome change to come into (U.S.) camp and get away a bit and get some perspective.”

Before the Galaxy’s funk further infects Donovan, it’s fair to ask whether the changes of scenery that benefitted Klinsmann would do the same for his struggling star midfielder. Los Angeles is home, but there isn’t much more Donovan can do for a club to which he has given everything the past seven-plus years. The way he speaks about his two loan spells at Everton certainly indicates he still has plenty of passion for the game.

“I would absolutely like to come back (to Everton); there's no question about that,” he told FIFA’s website last week. “And I know I will be back at some point. Now, whether I’m back as a player or just as a fan, who knows. I miss the people a lot. I miss driving to Goodison Park. I miss just the positive energy of the fans walking into the stadium and how much they care about that club and the team.”

Donovan’s contract with the Galaxy, which will pay him $2.4 million this season, expires at the end of 2013. Everton isn’t the sort of club that splashes out big money on transfer fees, but Donovan’s value surely will decrease as he ages, and more important, if he wants to leave L.A.

At this point, there’s no reason the Galaxy should stand in the way of a good servant who wants to make the most of his remaining years as a player.

Asked Friday if he’d consider a permanent move abroad, Donovan said, “I’d be open to anything. I’m always open-minded to pretty much anything. If that were to happen, I would consider it. I’m still a Galaxy player and will be probably for a while.”

There wasn’t much enthusiasm in Donovan’s voice as he finished answering the question. Perhaps it was the sort of matter-of-fact tone that comes when you’ve been asked the same thing 1,000 times, or perhaps it reflected some honest resignation. Either way, it seems clear that a new challenge—be it contributing to the World Cup qualifying effort or moving to another club—could be just the thing to stoke Donovan’s competitive fires.